Mr Snail, Auguste* and I have returned from spending 12 days on a boat travelling from Bergen to Kirkenes and back: not exactly a cruise, but a voyage on one of the ships in the Hurtigruten fleet, that constantly sail up and down the Norwegian coast, ferrying cars, local passengers and cargo as well as visitors like us enjoying the wonderful country.
So, without further ado, a small glimpse of what we saw:
Near Stokmarknes, sailing through the channel first dredged in 1922
Blue sky, blue sea
Kjeungskjær Lighthouse
Glorious colours
In the Raftsund
The Raftsund
A harbour wall
Late at night, the sun thinks about setting
Another boat in the fleet
Whale jaw bone
Vardø
Frozen lake – Kirkenes
The Arctic Cathedral under leaden skies
Torvik: This must be where the wool comes from!
Kjeungskjær Lighthouse
Sun setting in the arctic circle
There are so many tiny islands
Drying fish on the Lofoten Islands
In the south, the meadows are growing
Through the round window…
Leaving Bergen
Amongst the buildings of the Hanseatic Wharf
Hanseatic Wharf – Bergen
Late sunlight on the mountains
Around 11pm
Torghatten
Leaving the Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle marker
Rainbow in the Troll Fjord
Rainbow in the Troll Fjord #2
Auguste admires the sunset
They waved flags in Havnnes as we passed
Snow still covered some of the mountains
Snow-melt fed the streams
The sun breaks through
Oranges
Pinks and purples
The Troll Fjord at night
-oOo-
* A bear who has come to live and travel with us… but that’s a story for Mr Snail to tell
Wild Daffodil
/ May 19, 2015Oh SO gorgeous! And the sea looks calm – I get sea-sick just thinking about boats, so photos are as close as I will get to those fjords I suspect – tempting though!
Thank you for sharing.
yuthese
The Snail of Happiness
/ May 19, 2015It was amazingly calm most of the time… a wonderful and peaceful experience. Sometimes we all need a break from routine and this was a perfect way to get away from everyday concerns.
katechiconi
/ May 19, 2015What bliss, I am consumed with envy! You’ve managed to capture some wonderful images, and if they are wonderful for us I can only imagine how they conjure up memories and experiences for you.
The Snail of Happiness
/ May 19, 2015Thank you… I love having a little digital camera in my pocket to make photography immediate and capture the moment. This is just a small selection of the photos we took, but I think they give a real flavour of the things we saw.
sarahfoto
/ May 19, 2015Stunning pictures! That’s a trip I would love to do in my life, and living in Sweden it’s only around the corner…
The Snail of Happiness
/ May 19, 2015It really was an amazing trip – you simply can’t see the majesty of the landscape unless you are on the sea, so it was a very special voyage.
I have to confess that half of the photos were taken by Mr Snail, but your praise is most gratifying as your photography is so wonderful.
SalvaVenia
/ May 19, 2015Very inviting …
insearchofitall
/ May 19, 2015Wow! That looks like such a Zen place to be and revive the soul. The photos were awe inspiring. I would so love to visit but alas, your photos are as close as I will come. I follow a blog from a native of Norway. You could pop over if at all interested.
http://thethoughtsandlifeofme.com/2015/05/17/17th-of-may-happy-birthday-norway/
Thanks for the tour.
The Snail of Happiness
/ May 19, 2015We just missed Norway’s birthday, so it was interesting to look at the link – thank you!
The trip was really inspiring – I never thought I’d watch the sun setting at midnight, but it was beautiful.
insearchofitall
/ May 19, 2015You have my deepest envy.:)))
davidprosser
/ May 19, 2015Fantastic pictures Jan. You must be having a ball, I hope so anyway.
xxx Huge Hugs to you both xxx
The Snail of Happiness
/ May 19, 2015We had a lovely time – SO relaxing
xxx hugs xxx
The Belmont Rooster
/ May 19, 2015What a great trip for you! Photos really are nice!
The Snail of Happiness
/ May 19, 2015It was a great trip… just what we needed!
Tajana
/ May 19, 2015A dream indeed! Earth is a beautiful place to live in!
nerdinthebrain
/ May 19, 2015Everything looks so amazingly beautiful! I’m so glad you got to take such a wonderful trip! 😀
The Snail of Happiness
/ May 19, 2015It really was fabulous!
narf77
/ May 19, 2015What a stunningly beautiful place you just visited Ms Snail. I am SO envious! A Facebook friend (who I have never met) just dropped in on Norway for a bit of a look-see (from Tasmania mind you) and is also driving me potty with tails of gorgeousness, greenness and spectacular countryside that I can’t even begin to imagine. If I was to get on a plane for another long haul flight (highly unlikely, but lets just humour that idea for the sake of this comment…) it would have to be to go to Scandanavia. I think it is probably the closest place to heaven on earth. Thank you for sharing your gorgeous photos and memories with us Ms Snail 🙂
The Snail of Happiness
/ May 19, 2015I guess the southern hemisphere alternative is Fiordland in New Zealand… not sure how it compares though
narf77
/ May 19, 2015I am planning on surprising Ms Pauline one day. I will just rock up on her doorstep to haul her out for coffee/tea somewhere nice 🙂
The Snail of Happiness
/ May 19, 2015Now that would be fun
thecontentedcrafter
/ May 19, 2015I am surprised you could take your eyes from the view long enough to ply your hooks and or needles – isn’t it simply astounding! Re your comment to narf, it is said that every breathtaking scene found on the globe can be seen here, in a slightly smaller fashion …. I’m not sure how accurate that statement is,[I can’t really think of a place equal to the Egyptian desert for example] but we do have our own version of the fjords. Lacking the extent of wintery coldness and the midnight sun, nor lined about with the stunning architecture alas, but often covered instead with rain forest …… otherwise a dead ringer 🙂 The region is a gigantic national park, mostly unpopulated, somewhat battered about by earthquakes in recent years, but absolutely, astoundingly, breathtakingly majestic, awe-inspiring and beautiful!
The Snail of Happiness
/ May 19, 2015The joy of sock-knitting is that I can do it without looking! I did the crochet during the less inspiring bits, including at the airport on the way back. It truly was a great trip.
arlingwoman
/ May 20, 2015Wow, your pictures are beautiful. I really like the red lighthouse and–if I start naming the ones I like, it could just go on and on. So glad you got away to such gorgeousness.
katythenightowl
/ May 20, 2015What wonderful views, Jan – they give such a feeling of serenity 🙂
You must have been in heaven seeing all of this, and still being able to do all that crafting, too? 🙂
gentlestitches
/ May 20, 2015Just WOW!!! 😀
KerryCan
/ May 20, 2015Those photos are fantastic! I went directly to the company’s website and bookmarked it–this sort of trip appeals to me greatly!